End of ZR1
01-13-2014, 01:07 PM
#41
01-13-2014, 01:15 PM
#42
Melting Slicks
Also to say the Zr-1 has a major following is silly, the entire production run of C6 corvettes is 215,125 cars, of those 4684 were ZR-1's. That's just 2.17% of every car produced. Sadly this is not a large enough buying force to tilt GM's hand to produce a more expensive variant for the sake of producing a more expensive variant.
I am sure many people are fans of the ZR-1 and many would like to buy one, but the prohibitive cost deterred those folks. The Z06 is also not a huge seller in the grand scheme of things, but it was far more lucrative than the ZR-1 as it made up 13% of total Corvette sales during the life of the C6 platform. So if we do see a ZR-1 it will likely be in an effort to drum up sales for a stagnant platform.
I am sure many people are fans of the ZR-1 and many would like to buy one, but the prohibitive cost deterred those folks. The Z06 is also not a huge seller in the grand scheme of things, but it was far more lucrative than the ZR-1 as it made up 13% of total Corvette sales during the life of the C6 platform. So if we do see a ZR-1 it will likely be in an effort to drum up sales for a stagnant platform.
01-13-2014, 02:22 PM
#43
When it was confirmed that the new Z06 was going to be supercharged and have close to as much power as the outgoing ZR1 I too was worried that there wouldn't be a C7 ZR1.
Which is why I was really happy to hear Tadge say "We always try to take the previous generation's upper performance models and bring that performance down to the next lower model [i.e.: Z06] in the lineup" at 0:21 in this video:
Why would he say "the next lower model" (referring to the current generation) if there was never to be a model above it? Either that was deliberate misleading, which Tadge doesn't seem to do, or essentially a statement that there will be a C7 ZR1.
Now, timing is another story and I don't expect to see one for at least a couple of years, but there is more than light at the end of the tunnel now.
WooHoo!
Which is why I was really happy to hear Tadge say "We always try to take the previous generation's upper performance models and bring that performance down to the next lower model [i.e.: Z06] in the lineup" at 0:21 in this video:
Why would he say "the next lower model" (referring to the current generation) if there was never to be a model above it? Either that was deliberate misleading, which Tadge doesn't seem to do, or essentially a statement that there will be a C7 ZR1.
Now, timing is another story and I don't expect to see one for at least a couple of years, but there is more than light at the end of the tunnel now.
WooHoo!
Last edited by jsiddall; 01-13-2014 at 04:01 PM.
01-13-2014, 03:29 PM
#44
Also to say the Zr-1 has a major following is silly, the entire production run of C6 corvettes is 215,125 cars, of those 4684 were ZR-1's. That's just 2.17% of every car produced. Sadly this is not a large enough buying force to tilt GM's hand to produce a more expensive variant for the sake of producing a more expensive variant.
I am sure many people are fans of the ZR-1 and many would like to buy one, but the prohibitive cost deterred those folks. The Z06 is also not a huge seller in the grand scheme of things, but it was far more lucrative than the ZR-1 as it made up 13% of total Corvette sales during the life of the C6 platform. So if we do see a ZR-1 it will likely be in an effort to drum up sales for a stagnant platform.
I am sure many people are fans of the ZR-1 and many would like to buy one, but the prohibitive cost deterred those folks. The Z06 is also not a huge seller in the grand scheme of things, but it was far more lucrative than the ZR-1 as it made up 13% of total Corvette sales during the life of the C6 platform. So if we do see a ZR-1 it will likely be in an effort to drum up sales for a stagnant platform.
I could imagine a limited production run (like GT2 RS or 599 GTO), with more power, less weight, perhaps even upgraded Caravaggio-like interior, etc, to keep the lineup fresh. Hard to believe that GM would have put all of their cards on the table in the first two model years.
01-13-2014, 03:54 PM
#45
Drifting
The ZR-1 was built to drum up hype for the Corvette nameplate when sales were sluggish due to a longer than expected production run of the C6 platform. The GS and the 427 Vert were also stop gaps to help level out sales and generate interest in a tired platform. The C7 may not see a ZR1 or a GS if sales of the Stingray and Z06 meet sales targets each year they are in production. What we will likely see is a bump up in horsepower for the Stingray in the '16 or '17 model year and an added performance package to the Z06 a year later to keep interest in the model. Don't expect a 10 year plus generation this time around, technology is moving faster than ever and GM will need to innovate sooner to maintain a sales edge.
01-13-2014, 04:04 PM
#46
Melting Slicks
The engineer on the C&D video said clearly there was more room for development in HP. Some more trick heads and more boost and your into 700, 800--heck whatever you want.
Also, how cool is it that Chevy builds a cam-in-block motor with DFI, variable valve timing, full computer control, very low weight per HP (likely the best in the world for a street car), brand new supercharger configuration, and super compact external dimensions--something no one else in the world is doing--and wraps it in a package that will eat most cars alive on the race course?
Pretty darn cool....
Also, how cool is it that Chevy builds a cam-in-block motor with DFI, variable valve timing, full computer control, very low weight per HP (likely the best in the world for a street car), brand new supercharger configuration, and super compact external dimensions--something no one else in the world is doing--and wraps it in a package that will eat most cars alive on the race course?
Pretty darn cool....